Laura Barberis

Research

Cu-based catalysts for CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol

Methanol is one of the essential building blocks in the petrochemical industry but also can be considered as a potential fuel or energy carrier. Nowadays, methanol is industrially produced from synthesis gas over copper-zinc oxide catalysts supported on aluminium oxide.^[1] Alternatively methanol can be produced by hydrogenation of CO₂.^[2] In this sense the utilization of CO₂ can lead to a substantial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The aim of this project is to explore particle size effects, spatial distribution effects, metal-support interactions and metal-promoter interactions over copper-based catalysts for CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol. To achieve this, controlled incipient wetness impregnation will be employed to synthesize size-controlled metal nanoparticles supported on a well-defined and inert support.^[3] Moreover, long-term catalytic tests under industrially relevant conditions (high-pressure and high-temperature) will be employed to evaluated catalysts activity, selectivity and stability.

There are several possibilities for students to join this project.

[1] K. C. Waugh, Catal. Letters 2012, 142, 1153-1166.

[2] S. Dang, H. Yang, P. Gao, H. Wang, X. Li, W. Wei, Y. Sun, Catal. Today 2018,

[3] P. Munnik, P. E. de Jongh, K. P. de Jong, Chem. Rev. 2015, 115, 6687-6718.

C.V.

Dec 2018 – present	PhD candidate at the Materials Chemistry and Catalysis group, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University Under supervision of Prof. Dr P. E. (Petra) de Jongh and Prof. dr. Frank de Groot
	Project title: Cu-based catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol
2016 – 2018	Master’s Degree in Chemistry, Università  degli Studi di Torino, Turin (Italy), Under supervision of Prof. Dr. Marcello Baricco
	Project title: Solid-state electrolytes based on LiBH4-Oxide system
2018	Four months internship at the Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University Under the supervision of Prof. Dr. P. E. (Petra) de Jongh and Dr. Peter Ngene
2013 – 2016	Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Torino, Turin (Italy), under supervision of Prof. Dr. Marcello Baricco
2008 – 2013	Scientific high-school diploma, I.T.I.S Amedeo Avogadro, Turin